Days after the viral TikTok account that used the deep fake technology to generate videos featuring Hollywood's famous icon Tom Cruise, questions are mounting over the dangers this technology could leave in the world.
Here’s the crazy thing about this Tom Cruise deepfake....
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) February 26, 2021
This isn’t even a super high quality deepfake and I’m willing to bet that it could fool most people.
Now imagine the quality of deepfake a government agency could produce.https://t.co/wMFMarEtAi pic.twitter.com/CjTxnNv2XI
It is hard for anyone watching those popular TikTok videos to believe that the Tom Cruise they are watching isn't in fact the well-known movie star neither is he a look alike.
Using the deep fake video technology people are now more able than ever to create videos that make them look like someone else, with minimum visual differences.
The huge advancement tech developers have been able to achieve has enabled even the most average people to have access to such tools, which is still largely used in the entertainment industry so far, whether we are talking about movie creators or those interested in presenting appealing digital content.
This is absolutely amazing, scary but amazing. This is one of the more realistic deepfakes i've seen. If this person used a lower res recording might have looked even better. Can't imagine how good these will be in a year or three
— killua is cute af but albie is even cuter (@GonKillua24) March 3, 2021
Deepfake Technology: It is able to place anybody into a video they never took part in in making them say or do things that never happened. They can be used in revenge porn, fake news, hoaxes, etc. They are very sinister. Here is one, only it's completely fake. Watch out for them. pic.twitter.com/HrD3TjO73G
— Dr James Kent (@DrJamesKent3) March 3, 2021
Yet, fears are now on the rise concerning the availability of such technologies especially if they are used to manipulate real people for political, social, or moral reasons. Such as creating videos of politicians or government officials as they say or do things that are not acceptable to the public, aiming at harming their political or social status.
Such technologies could also affect the news industry as it will make it significantly harder for news editors to verify viral videos and checking whether it is true or not. It will also heighten public doubts about whether news people are reading and sharing online are fake or not and cause a threat to the media industry in general.
